Thill-coupling.



Ratented IulyA Il, |899.

F. REESE.

THILL CUPLING.v

'Application led May 1, 1899.)

'No Motief.)

' Unirse dramas Arnwr miren.

FREDERICK REESE, CF EUTAV, ALABAMA. 1

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,852, dated July 11, 1899. Application filed. May 1, 1899. Serial No. 715,162. KNO model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Runen, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eutaw, in the county of Greene and State of Alabama, haveinvented a new and useful 'lhill- Coupling, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to thill-couplings, and has for its object toprovide simple and improved means for preventing longitudinaldisplacement of the thill-bolt and rattling thereof.

To this end the present invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvedthill-coupling. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through thethill-bolt. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line c x,Fig. 2. Fig. e is a detail perspective view of the antirattlerspring andbolt-lock.

Corresponding parts are designated by like reference characters in allthe figures of the drawings. f

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates an ordinaryaxle-clip having the usual spaced bearing-ears 2 and the tie-bar 3,whereby the clip may be fastened upon an axle et. The thill-iron 5 isprovided with an eye 6, which is adapted to be located between the ears2 and connected thereto by means of a smooth bolt 7, passing looselythrough the eye and the opposite bearing-ears. One end of the bolt isprovided with ahead S, adapted side ll of the spring is provided withsuitable bolt-openings 12, adapted to receive the opposite ends of theaxle-clip, whereby'the said side 11 may be clamped against the underside of the axle by means ofthe tie-bar 3. The .upper free end of theside 1l is extended longitudinallyoutward beneath and beyond the`bearing-ears'2 and then bent back upon itself, forming theantirattler-spring tongue 13, having its free extremity flared slightlyupward, located between the bearing-ears and adapted to bear upwardlyagainst the thill-eye t3. The lower side of the U-shaped spring is alsoextended forward beyond the bearing-ears and bent backward upon itself,as at 14, and the free extremity of the bend is provided with an offsetupstanding arm 15, adapted to engage the outer face of one of thebearing-ears 2. This arm is provided at its Lipper end with alongitudinal slot 16, opening outward through the upper end of the armand inclined upwardly and rearwardly toward the axle. As indicated inFigs. 1 and 3, the arm l5 is adapted to receive the grooved or reducedportion 9 of the thill-bolt within the slot 16,

so that the outer shoulder 17 of the bolt may engage the opposite sidesof the slot. and thereby prevent the bolt from being displacedlongitudinally from the thill-eye and the bearing-ears 2. It will beunderstood that the arm 15 is effectually held in engagement with thereduced portion of the thill-bolt by means of the lower side or memberof the U -shaped spring 10, and the slot is inclined rearwardly for thepurpose of facilitating the engagement of the slotted arm with thethill-bolt.

It will be noted that the construction, as hereinbefore described,provides an antirattler-spring and a locking-arm for the thillbolt, allformed from a single piece of metal, which is positively connected tothe axle-clip, so as to prevent possible loss of either of the parts.

The present invention may be readily applied to any of the common formsof thillcouplings without altering any part thereof,

and by the employment of the device the thill-bolt is etectually lockedagainst accidental displacement and rattling of the thill arm or boltwithin the bearing-ears is effectually prevented. Also,theantirattler-spring tongue 13 and the upstandin'g arm 15 aregentirelyindependent of each other, being carried by the lindividual ends of theU-shaped IOO spring 10, so that the arm lo may be disengaged from thebolt 7 without moving or otherwise interfering with theantirajttlerspring.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction Within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted toWithoutdeparting from the spirit or sacriiicingany of the advantages ofthis invention.

WVhat I claim is- A l. In athill-conpling, the combination with anaxle-clip having opposite l'iearing-ears, a thill-iron, and athill-bolt, of a substantially U-shaped springlhaving its upper sideconnected to the ends ot' the clip7 the forward free end of said Sidebeing rebent across its upper face and forming an antirattle'r-springtongue engaging the thill-iron, and the lower side of the U-shapedspring having its forward free end rebent into a spring-tongue, thelatter having a laterally-offset'upstanding arm engaging the thill-bolt,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a thill-eonpling7 the combination of an axle-clip having oppositebearing-ears, av thill-iron, a thill-bolt having a head at one end and areduced portion provided near the opposite end of the bolt, and asubstantially U-shaped spring formed from a at strap of metal bentintermediate its ends, one of the sides of the spring being providedwith boltopenings, whereby the spring may be secured to the ends of theclip and the free end of said FREDERICK REEsE.

Witnesses:

BERNARD HARWOOD, JOHN R. LEAVELL.

